Hi, thought I'd do an update since I haven't posted in a while. Is a long one, but have cool pictures to trick you in to thinking it's not boring haha
The tank is 7ft long x 4ft wide x 2ft deep (1400 litres) with a 16 inch tall sliding glass door riparium section.
The riparium plants are all in, finally have some colour to the set up! Went with some humid green ferns and calatheas, and a couple veiny red fittonias.
Filling back up.
I had to get in the tank to plant them. I drained the tank halfway, netted the 2ft long South American Lungfish (this dude chomped through a thermometer like it was a biscuit haha), but I left the others (Bichirs, Gars, Eels, Knifefish and African Arowana) in the tank with me. They were all pretty chill and acted like I was part of the tank the 2 hours I was in haha.
Then with no warning the African Arowana got spooked..
Any of you seen that episode of River Monsters where the Arapaima started jumping out the water and I think they broke Jeremy Wade's ribs?
Well this dude is only 17 inches and wow my ribs can tell they're related haha.
Acting like it never happened, the bastard.
Just adding some sphagnum moss on the soil now, but don't think I'm too happy with how that looks. The idea behind that was the older decaying moss would act as a food for earthworms turning it into plant food, eliminating the need to change the soil so often. I'll give that one a couple of months to see how it kicks off, if not, there are some other moss species I have my eye on.
Next on the list is to pick up some more larger bogwood pieces and tie some java moss and other aquatic plants, then that's the scape more or less done!
Actually bought a couple of very nice Channa pleuropthalma around 9-10 inches a few days ago. When it comes to putting Snakeheads in tropical comm tanks, I know the lowest risk tropical Snakeheads are P. obscura, P. africana, C. pleuropthalma, C. lucius, C. marulius, and C. maruliodes, so was hoping this would work, but nah. By morning the Bichirs buried themselves and the Pleuros were burrowing after them to eat. They were very aggressive to the Lungfish and other fish too, really disrupted the harmony of the tank. Took them back to the shop that morning. Was a real shame as the first night they were following my finger and almost had them hand feeding.
I'm just going to try a Parachanna next, if that doesn't work, I'll just set up a new tank and go full subtropical with a group of Channa stewartii var. special.
The stock is all doing good beside that hiccup, want to sell some though. Yes I know, blasphemy, but there is a logic behind it haha.
Will be selling
• x2 P. endlicheri
• x1 P. weeksii
• x1 P. delhezi
• x1 P. ansorgii
• x1 P. congicus
• x1 Florida Gar (juvenile)
• x1 M. armatus
In favour of reducing bioload and replacing some with higher grade specimens, so if any of you are near Cornwall, England, give me a shout haha.
The Tyre Track Eel (M. armatus) is around 14 inch now I think and is getting to the point of maturity, so the Fire Eel and it haven't been getting on so well. Anyone that's kept mature Spiny Eels together probably know they don't always get on and will see lots of head biting. Very reluctant to put the Tyre Track up for sale as it's always so yellow and active.
Can't part with the Fire Eel though, he has some wicked markings. Here he is flaring after a little scrap with the Tyre Track Eel.
Be picking up some new Polys soon, found a big wild Teugelsi, just waiting on supplier, also a mate of mine has the nicest Weeksii and Delhezi Bichirs I've ever seen, so fingers crossed I can get him to part with them He's promised me the Weeksiis, but those Dels are something else lol.
My friend's stunning "Big mama" Delhezi he refuses to part with hahaha
That's pretty much everything really, hope you like my setup can't wait til it's done!
The tank is 7ft long x 4ft wide x 2ft deep (1400 litres) with a 16 inch tall sliding glass door riparium section.
The riparium plants are all in, finally have some colour to the set up! Went with some humid green ferns and calatheas, and a couple veiny red fittonias.
Filling back up.
I had to get in the tank to plant them. I drained the tank halfway, netted the 2ft long South American Lungfish (this dude chomped through a thermometer like it was a biscuit haha), but I left the others (Bichirs, Gars, Eels, Knifefish and African Arowana) in the tank with me. They were all pretty chill and acted like I was part of the tank the 2 hours I was in haha.
Then with no warning the African Arowana got spooked..
Any of you seen that episode of River Monsters where the Arapaima started jumping out the water and I think they broke Jeremy Wade's ribs?
Well this dude is only 17 inches and wow my ribs can tell they're related haha.
Acting like it never happened, the bastard.
Just adding some sphagnum moss on the soil now, but don't think I'm too happy with how that looks. The idea behind that was the older decaying moss would act as a food for earthworms turning it into plant food, eliminating the need to change the soil so often. I'll give that one a couple of months to see how it kicks off, if not, there are some other moss species I have my eye on.
Next on the list is to pick up some more larger bogwood pieces and tie some java moss and other aquatic plants, then that's the scape more or less done!
Actually bought a couple of very nice Channa pleuropthalma around 9-10 inches a few days ago. When it comes to putting Snakeheads in tropical comm tanks, I know the lowest risk tropical Snakeheads are P. obscura, P. africana, C. pleuropthalma, C. lucius, C. marulius, and C. maruliodes, so was hoping this would work, but nah. By morning the Bichirs buried themselves and the Pleuros were burrowing after them to eat. They were very aggressive to the Lungfish and other fish too, really disrupted the harmony of the tank. Took them back to the shop that morning. Was a real shame as the first night they were following my finger and almost had them hand feeding.
I'm just going to try a Parachanna next, if that doesn't work, I'll just set up a new tank and go full subtropical with a group of Channa stewartii var. special.
The stock is all doing good beside that hiccup, want to sell some though. Yes I know, blasphemy, but there is a logic behind it haha.
Will be selling
• x2 P. endlicheri
• x1 P. weeksii
• x1 P. delhezi
• x1 P. ansorgii
• x1 P. congicus
• x1 Florida Gar (juvenile)
• x1 M. armatus
In favour of reducing bioload and replacing some with higher grade specimens, so if any of you are near Cornwall, England, give me a shout haha.
The Tyre Track Eel (M. armatus) is around 14 inch now I think and is getting to the point of maturity, so the Fire Eel and it haven't been getting on so well. Anyone that's kept mature Spiny Eels together probably know they don't always get on and will see lots of head biting. Very reluctant to put the Tyre Track up for sale as it's always so yellow and active.
Can't part with the Fire Eel though, he has some wicked markings. Here he is flaring after a little scrap with the Tyre Track Eel.
Be picking up some new Polys soon, found a big wild Teugelsi, just waiting on supplier, also a mate of mine has the nicest Weeksii and Delhezi Bichirs I've ever seen, so fingers crossed I can get him to part with them He's promised me the Weeksiis, but those Dels are something else lol.
My friend's stunning "Big mama" Delhezi he refuses to part with hahaha
That's pretty much everything really, hope you like my setup can't wait til it's done!
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